Australia's government backed up its western allies and approved implementation of sanctions against Russia. The official reason is the direct involvement of Moscow in disorders in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. According to the new decree of the Australian authorities, 50 Russians and 11 companies are affected by the sanctions. The list includes the following Russian politicians and officials: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitriy Rogozin, Valentina Matvienko, the Federation Council Speaker, Presidential Aide Sergei Glazyev, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin. Moreover, businessmen Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, Gennady Timchenko, and Head of the Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin were also mentioned. Apart from Russian officials, the sanctions are targeted at People's mayor of the east-Ukrainian city of Sloviansk Vyacheslav Ponomarev, Head of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk Denis Pushilin, Head of the national militia of Donbass, Igor Strelkov, and Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov. As for companies and legal entities which the Australian restrictions have been introduced to, there are Rossia Bank, InvestCapitalBank, SMP Bank, SGM, and Volga Group. As political observers say, it is foreseeable action of Australia. The sanctions against Russia were discussed during the March government session. In March, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said that Sidney imposed travel bans against 12 Russians and Ukrainians. However, then the minister did not unveil their names. The ministry of foreign affairs explained that this step was taken to avoid risks of large-scale capital outflow. As of now, sanctions have been imposed by the US, EU, Canada, and Switzerland. Russia's President Vladimir Putin called the sanctions illegal as they were implemented with no permission of the United Nations.